Green Deal update – First month sees positive response to new scheme

The government’s new Green Deal Scheme has had a positive first month, with over 1,800 people signing up to have their homes assessed. Green Deal has been created to encourage homes and businesses to increase the energy efficiency of their properties, with a range of improvements available at no up-front cost. Payments are made through energy bills and the scheme requires that the cost of any improvements will be matched or bettered by the savings in energy consumption.

Energy and climate change secretary Edward Davey said, “We have created the Green Deal to overhaul our inefficient housing stock and help people keep their homes warm, while also reducing their energy bills.”

It is not yet clear, however, how many of those assessed have gone on to take up a full Green Deal financial package and there have been complaints from people who have paid for an assessment only to be told they couldn’t have the improvements they wanted. Despite this, the government are confident that interest will keep on improving and many Green Deal assessors are booked up weeks in advance.

The process of signing up to the Green Deal scheme involves having a Green Deal Assessor visit your home and complete a detailed assessment of your property’s energy consumption. They will compile a report and make recommendations for improvements you could have done under the scheme – these can range from updated insulation and boiler servicing to double glazing and whole central heating systems, but it must comply with the Green Deal golden rule that the cost of the work must be outweighed by the energy savings.

To encourage people to use the scheme, the government are also offering cash-back incentives for early adopters, potentially worth hundreds of pounds. “As the market builds and awareness of the Green Deal increases, I am confident that consumer interest will grow and grow,” Davey said.